Arrangement
by Mirime Kisarrastine
Summary: Those four months between the engagement and the wedding changed their lives. Getting to know each other amidst the internal politics of a kingdom was tougher than expected. A series of one-shots that connect Royalty and Duty. Mystogan/Erza K. pairing.
1. Announcement

For those who read _Royalty_ and _Duty_, you might have noticed there was a time skip between the two fics. **Antispiral**, who continues to inspire me regarding my Edolas AU, asked me about that gap and this is my answer to her. A drabble/vignette series choke-full of EdoJellal/EdoErza goodness and now part of a bigger series called _Restoration_. Complete list of the fics included in this series can be found on my profile - scroll down the pairings to the fics section.  
**Disclaimer:** This is Mirime-chan playing with Hiro Mashima's characters. No money goes to Mirime-chan, only a satisfaction from spreading the love for her favourite pairing.

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**Announcement**

The Council meeting was nearing the end. Jellal decided to announce his engagement to Erza Knightwalker as the last order of business. Knowing the councillors, Erza could only agree with the timing. They would blow their collective top over it, not out of any dislike for her personally but because every single one of them had their own candidate for the coveted position of the queen. Having chosen Erza, Jellal had upset the carefully designed plans of at least half of those present, if not more. The less time they were given to protest, the better for everyone.

"One last thing," Jellal started and Erza sat up straighter. Time for the big show. "The matter of my marriage has come up several times in the past and I have decided to heed your advice and pick a wife. After carefully considering my options, I chose a woman whose dedication to the kingdom is beside any doubt."

"If I may interrupt, Your Majesty?" the chancellor, Imaren Gand, spoke up. He had a niece who had come of age recently, Erza recalled. "There are many things to be considered when choosing our future queen. While dedication to the country is an admirable trait, others, no less important must be present as well."

"Oh?" Jellal leaned back in his chair. He was going to play along for now, Erza saw. "Could you enlighten me as to what those traits are supposed to be?"

"Her family, sire, for one thing. She must be of a noble blood."

"Her family is one of the oldest in the kingdom, so that's not going to be a problem."

"She must also be of an appropriate age, handsome and pure," the chancellor ticked off the points. Jellal looked over the table, catching Erza's eyes. They were already narrowed angrily and he gave her a nod, letting her enter the conversation.

"Are you suggesting something, chancellor Gand?" her cold voice resonated throughout the room. He turned in his seat, surprised by her contribution to the topic on hand.

"Suggesting? What do you mean, General Knightwalker?"

"I'm barely twenty, definitely handsome and if you so much as question my 'purity' again, I will decorate the room with your entrails," she finished seriously. Gand gaped at her like a fish out of the water and the other councillors made similar impressions.

"Y-you mean..."

"General Erza Knightwalker is my fianceé as of two days ago," Jellal put in calmly. "I believe there are no protests to my choice of a bride?"

No one would dare to protest, not with the way Erza kept glaring at Gand.

"Good. You are dismissed, then. We will reconvene in the usual time."

One by one, the councillors trailed out of the room. Erza, though, remained seated, a small smirk on her lips.

"You have finally learned," she said as the door closed behind the last of the councillors.

"Learned?"

"Not to let them get a word in. You are the final authority, they shouldn't even think about questioning you."

"Yet you seem to have been doing that on regular basis," he sounded more amused than anything.

"Because you let me do so," she replied. "There are times when you need their opinions and then there are times when you don't. The matters of the kingdom, especially those where their experience is greater than yours, are necessary to be discussed. The matters of your personal life, the choice of a wife, for example, are not up to discussion unless it threatens the stability of the country."

Jellal was leaning forward in his chair, listening to her attentively.

"I thought you were a soldier," he said at last. "But you understand the court proceedings better than me."

Erza leaned forward as well, looking directly into his eyes.

"I could point out your absence in the times when you were supposed to learn the workings of the court," she let it hang in the air for a moment, "but I won't. The truth is that this is just another battlefield. It's harder to recognize the enemies because they tend to change their allegiance daily but the basics are the same. And I am a superb soldier."

"I know that," he said. "That's why I picked you as the Chief of Staff."

"Regarding that," she spoke up. "I'd like to keep my commission until the wedding."

Jellal frowned a bit at that.

"But wouldn't you be busy with the wedding preparations?"

"Jellal," it was the first time she used his given name. "We haven't picked a date yet and I'm not good with things like that anyway. I'd rather spend the time choosing my successor and taking care of any loose ends in the army."

"Good reasoning," he admitted. "I'll find someone to take care of the wedding, then."

Erza stood up.

"I'll be going. The vultures are waiting."

Jellal looked at her questioningly.

"The vultures?"

"Those of the councillors who have already reconciled with the idea of me being the next Queen. They'll be waiting for me to try and gain my favour. I'm not looking forward to that."

Jellal looked at her before beckoning her to him.

"Come here," he led her over to a hanging tapestry, pushing it aside to reveal a small door. "It leads to the gardens. In fact," he mused, "I think I'll join you."

He offered her his arm. She looked at it blankly before her almost forgotten court manners kicked in and she accepted it gracefully. She would have to get used to that - as his fianceé and later his wife, she would be accompanying him frequently.

Stepping through the door into the short corridor with the stairs at the end, she thought how symbolic it was - stepping into a new life with this man at her side. Now that the engagement was announced publicly, there was no turning back. Then again, she didn't want to turn back. She was looking forward to the unknown future, with all it might bring.

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**A/N:** This is going to map those four moths that passed between the engagement and wedding. Not sure yet how many fics I will include in this one.


	2. A Quiet Understanding

This one clears up some loose ends left over from _Royalty. _Enjoy :D

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**A Quiet Understanding**

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Two days had passed since Jellal's shocking proposal to her and less than half-an-hour since the engagement was announced to the Council and Erza Knightwalker was thoroughly puzzled by her fiance's attitude.

When he had showed her the secret door to the gardens and offered to escort her, she had thought he was merely being courteous and would leave as soon as they entered the gardens. She certainly didn't expect him to remain at her side, leading her down the well-kept paths in the gardens and trying - the key word being trying - to make small talk. She had finally had enough. She stopped and when he turned to her in confusion, she gave him her best glare.

"What is going on?"

"Erza?"

"You are behaving strangely and I want to know why."

Jellal looked away from her and sighed.

"I have been thinking," he started haltingly. "About my proposal to you and how it went and..." he paused, searching for words and Erza took this opportunity to speak up.

"It's too late to call it off."

"That's not what I meant," he protested earnestly. Erza, of course, knew that much. But she wanted some answers from him and she wanted them fast. "I just meant... I practically ordered you to marry me."

One of Erza's eyebrows went up.

"I don't recall that."

"I know how you feel about what you consider your duty. I used that knowledge to manipulate you into agreeing with my proposal and-"

"Let's make something clear right now," Erza cut him off. It might have been rude of her but she was beyond being polite. "You didn't manipulate anyone. The choice was mine to make from the very beginning."

"Still, I could have handled it better. I could have told you differently. I could have behaved differently."

Erza closed her eyes briefly to avoid the temptation of calling him an idiot. She would get away with it for sure but...

"Exactly what do you mean by differently?"

"It could have been more... romantic?" Jellal offered, wincing at how stupid it sounded. He hastened to explain himself better. "I could have made it sound less business-like."

"Ah," Erza intoned. "And where did you get the idea that that is what I want?" she sighed. It was time they had a serious talk. For all their contact in the last five months, they still didn't know each other that well. "Let's take a seat," she pointed to the nearby bench. He followed her quietly and sat down, waiting for her to start. Though he didn't expect the words that came.

"My family has a tradition," Erza started. "The first-born child, regardless of the gender, is brought up to become a soldier of Edolas, usually gaining one of the higher ranks in a course of a few years. My father is a retired General. I fought under his leadership five years ago as a lieutenant. I was fifteen at the time. Ever since then, I haven't left the battlefield, rising through the ranks until I held the title of a commander in the magical force units. My life has been the duty and battles. What I'm trying to say is this: I'm not an ordinary woman, Jellal. I don't want romantic proposals. I don't need the things other women crave. I want to serve my homeland to the best of my abilities. So you don't need to feel guilty over not proposing in a more romantic way and you don't need to apologize for that, either."

Jellal was looking at her for the longest time. She looked right back, not backing down from the silent challenge he had issued. Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for because he looked away with a rueful chuckle.

"I look like an idiot, don't I?" he asked rhetorically. "I just wanted to behave like a proper fiance... to court you a bit... to do something nice for you. Something to show that I appreciate what you are doing. I didn't want you to think I was just using you."

"Oh, I already knew that," Erza said with a tinge of humour. "Don't think I haven't noticed how awkward you are when confronted with the young women around the court. I am probably the only woman your age whom you are comfortable with."

"Am I that obvious?" he asked with a grimace. Erza nodded and he groaned. "I have probably been the laughing stock of the palace for months."

"Actually, most servants - the female ones - find it endearing."

Jellal groaned again and Erza had to fight an uncharacteristic urge to laugh. He had never been this open with her, nor she with him. Was that one exchange of the words two days ago and the shift in their relationship enough to make such an impact?

"So," she decided to steer their conversation back to the previous topic. "This walk in the garden was supposed to be romantic as well?"

"Yes," he replied. "But I'm starting to realize I'm really bad at being romantic, so I'm not surprised it didn't work."

"I don't want romance, Jellal. I much prefer honesty."

"Alright," he turned to face her fully and taking her hands into his. "I'm going to be honest with you. Yes, one of the reasons I asked you to be my wife is because I feel comfortable with you. The other reason is that I want a woman who is strong - in her convictions, in her personality, in her mind. A woman who won't be just a pretty doll at my side but who will be able to act as my support while I try and lead the Edolas to the better times. You are the only woman who fits the criteria."

"See?" she asked. "It wasn't that hard."

"But it's your turn."

"My turn?"

"I think I like this honest approach to the situation and since I bared my heart, so to speak, it's only fair you do the same."

He had her there.

"Fine," she took a deep breath. "I accepted because I knew it was my duty to do so. Duty to Edolas. It's as you said: You need a woman who will be your support and I knew I was the only one capable of being that for you. But I also accepted because, well," she smiled wryly, "I guess I got used to arguing with you and as your wife, I will be able to get away with a lot more."

Jellal chuckled at that.

"So you think this will work out?" he asked.

"Of course, it will. We both want it to work."

He raised her right hand to his lips and then did the same with the left. Erza pursed her lips.

"For a man who claims to be bad at being romantic, you are doing quite well."

"I have my moments," he replied easily. Erza stood up and he followed suit. A dusk was settling over the gardens and he once again offered her his arm. "Dinner?"

"Why not?" she quipped and took his arm. The walk back was spent in silence but there was a different quality to it now. It wasn't the silence of two people who didn't know what to tell the other. It was the silence of two people who didn't need to talk because they already knew all that was important. The silence between them was a quiet understanding.


	3. A Family Business

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**Family Business**

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_Honoured mother and father,_

_I would like to inform you about my impending nuptials_

Too formal. Erza Knightwalker scrunched up the sheet of paper, tossed it aside and pulled out another one.

_Dear mother and father,_

_it is my pleasure to inform you_

Too hypocritical. Scrunch and toss.

_Hello father,_

_I have gotten engaged to the king. I don't know when the wedding will be, yet. Tell mother_

Her mother would skin her alive for that one. Erza sighed and put down her pen. She had led armies, hunted down Fairies, faced off with her double, kept the army running during the magic crisis and yet she wasn't able to write home about her engagement. She knew her mother would be overjoyed at the news. But her mother being overjoyed would lead to her mother wanting to come and try to force Erza to take a more active part in the wedding preparations.

Erza was quite happy to let someone else deal with all the mess. The royal wedding was a complicated affair and a logistic nightmare. Erza planned to check up on it occasionaly to see if it ran smoothly while dedicating her time to the more pressing matters.

Her mother wouldn't understand. She never did. But the engagement had already been announced and if she didn't write to her parents of it, they would find out from someone else and that was unacceptable. It was her duty to be the one to inform her parents and she would do it, no matter how uncomfortable she might feel.

_Hello mother and father,_

_I have some surprising news for you. As of three days ago, I am engaged to His Majesty, King Jellal. The Council has already approved of the engagement and it will soon be made public. The date of the wedding itself is yet unknown. The wedding preparations are being overseen by a reliable person appointed by Jellal himself since I am going to be busy with tying up loose ends in the army. I won't be spending a lot of time in the Royal City itself. My plans are still tentative at best but it is very likely I won't be able to visit before the wedding itself. The official invitation and announcement will be delivered soon but I wanted to tell you myself._

_I hope you are well._

_Your daughter, Erza Knightwalker_

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Jellal knelt down before a smooth plaque set in the wall.

"Hello, Mum," he spoke, certain that he was alone in the building, since the mausoleums, especially those where the members of the royal family had been being buried for centuries, were not the most frequented of places. He laid down the simple bouquet of lilacs, his mother's favourite flowers while still alive.

"I should have been by earlier, I know," he spoke as he traced the lettering in the stone. "The last months have been crazy but I should have found the time, no matter what. I am the king now, though and Erza would say-" he paused before chuckling. "She is the reason I'm here, strangely enough. She agreed to my suggestion and... I'm not making any sense, am I?"

He backed up a couple of steps, sitting down on the cold floor and resumed his staring at his mother's name.

"Erza is General Erza Knightwalker. She is the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Impressive titles but then, she is an impressive woman. And I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

Jellal paused, almost as if expecting a reply. When none came, he continued.

"You're probably shocked. So was I. Because, well, it's not like we were in love. We're not. It's a political thing, pragmatic too. Edolas is a mess and if I am to make it better, I will need a strong support. And you don't find many people stronger than Erza. She is also very loyal to the country. Dedicated. Willful, too. One of the few who tell me face to face if they disagree with me. And I would be blind if I didn't notice her beauty. She's a perfect candidate for the type of Queen Edolas needs right now."

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"She likes arguing with me. She calls me out if I do something stupid. She... she might be just the wife I need, as well. She's not in this for a position or some gain. I can be myself with her and that means a lot. Everyone has these expectations of me. Of how I should behave, what I should do or like. But with Erza, it's different. She has her expectations of me, yes, but they are natural. She expects me to be the King for real, not just in name. To devote myself to the country the way she does. Maybe that's it - she doesn't ask of me anything that she wouldn't do herself and that makes her so different from everyone else.

I made some bad calls, wrong decisions. I had good intentions, of course. Nevertheless, I have to face up to the consequences. I almost ruined Edolas with my good intentions and then I tried to run away from it again. I'm not proud of it. Making up for it is going to be a lifetime work. I will make it, though. I know I will."

Jellal stood up and then caressed the marble indentations.

"I let my mouth run away from me, huh? I just wanted to tell you about the engagement, I don't know where the rest of it came from. Sorry for dropping it on you. I'll try to visit more often, promise."

Turning to leave, he paused for a moment, his mind conjuring an image of his mother as he remembered her - a delicate, fragile woman with a deep sadness in her eyes.

"I wish I could say you would have liked Erza. Maybe you would but she is so very different from you, from the rest of the court ladies, too. I don't think you would have much in common. Still, I'm sorry you couldn't meet her in person."

With those words, Jellal crossed the threshold of the mausoleum. The door was shut, the noise disturbing the peace momentarily before the somber atmosphere settled back. Only the bouquet of the lilacs remained as the sole reminder of the visit.

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**A/N: **The world's worst procrastinator strikes out. I know I shouldn't have read Cat Tales after I saw the amount of stories but goddamit, Batman/Catwoman has been my favourite ship long before I knew what shipping or fanfiction is. Now, that I spent my whole holiday reading the five collected books, I am back to writing. Promise...


	4. Unnecessary Warnings

This one wasn't planned to be in but I realized I have been rather neglecting other canon characters. And then it derailed completely from the humour into the romance.  
**Disclaimer:** This is Mirime-chan playing with Hiro Mashima's characters. No money goes to Mirime-chan, only a satisfaction from spreading the love for her favourite pairing.

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**Unnecessary Warnings**

There had been a steady stream of congratulators ever since the engagement between Jellal and Erza had been announced. Most people merely wished him luck with generic words, though Jellal could see they were quite happy with this development. Coco was ecstatic, expecially after Jellal put her in charge of the wedding preparations. She might have been young but she knew a lot more about the happenings in the castle than anyone else.

The visit that stuck out more than any other, though, was that of the former Commanders of the Magical Forces Units Three and Four - Hughes and Sugarboy. The MFU had been disbanded almost immediately after Jellal had suceeded the throne, given the disappearance of magic, and the Commanders had been reassigned. Erza had become the Chief of Staff and then had immediately sent out Hughes to Louen and Sugarboy to the borders with Sengar - two of the more rebellious areas. They had been recalled after the engagement, since Erza wanted to confer with them about the choosing of her successor. And now, they stood in Jellal's office, having already spoken their congratulations but lingering behind, as if they wanted to say more but didn't quite know how.

"Was there anything else?" Jellal asked, bemused by their fidgety behaviour.

"Well," Hughes started before looking at Sugarboy.

"The thing is, erm..."

"It's about Erza," Hughes finally blurted out. "We have known her for a while and she's a great woman. Awesome, even."

"Yeah," Sugarboy seconded. "She's great. And it's great she's going to marry you and all but we wouldn't feel right if we didn't talk to you."

"Oh," Jellal finally understood. This was the dreaded talk between the family of the bride and her intended. Hughes and Sugarboy might not have been Erza's blood family but they apparently cared enough for her to talk even to their King about treating her properly. Not that he wouldn't do so regardless.

"Yeah, someone must warn you about her, though it's kinda late for that, since you asked her already."

Jellal blinked. Warn him about Erza? That didn't make any sense.

"What?"

"She has a temper like you wouldn't believe," Hughes gesticulated wildly. "Piss her off and whoa! You are a dead man walking."

"True, true," Sugarboy nodded before adding," And when it's her time of the month, you better go into hiding. One stupid comment and she's at your throat immediately. A year ago Hughes said something to her and it took me and Panther Lily both to pry her off of him."

"Erza isn't that bad," Jellal tried to defend his fiance . Sure, he had witnessed her temper several times but the way those two were carrying on made her sound like a demon.

Hughes and Sugarboy shook their heads sadly.

"You haven't known her for long enough. And besides, you were her King, she would control herself. But once you get married, she'll be your equal and then you're gonna get it for sure."

"You are exaggerating," Jellal stated clearly. "I knew what I was getting into when I asked her and I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Well, we hope so, too," Sugarboy said.

"We are glad you're marrying her, Your Majesty. It's awesome. But even so you should know all the facts about her. It's only fair."

What could he have said to that other than,

"Thank you for your consideration."

"You're welcome, Your Majesty," both of the Captains replied cheerfully. They left after that, leaving the confused and flabbergasted Jellal behind. What the hell had that been about? A knock on the door let him know of another visitor and so he called them in, hoping they would get his mind off the previous strange visit. No such luck as it was Erza herself who only took one look at his face and glared back into the corridor.

"What did they tell you?"

"Who?"

"Hughes and Sugarboy. You look like someone who has been treated to their particular dose of idiocy."

"You don't want to know. You really don't," Jellal emphasised upon seeing her unconvinced look. "It was nothing of importance, anyway."

"Well, if you're sure," she relented before tossing him a folder with several documents. "Updated information on the North-East region and the border with Othrori, there's also my status report on the army along with a list of possible candidates to take over my position once we get married."

Jellal flipped through the papers quickly, coming to a stop at the list she had mentioned. He was passingly familiar with all of those names but he wasn't sure about their abilities. Erza knew better than him.

"I already said I was leaving it to your judgment. You don't have to report everything to me."

"It's going to take some time to get used to it," Erza mentioned off-handedly as she sat down and waited for any questions he might have had.

"Get used to what?" Jellal barely raised his head from the documents.

"No longer being your subordinate."

Jellal paused in his work.

"I never considered you my subordinate."

"You didn't?" her voice had a disbelieving tone to it.

"Of course not. Out of everyone on the council you came the closest to being my friend."

"We argued - we still argue - half of the time," Erza pointed out and Jellal smiled.

"That's the point. You are the only one who doesn't beat around the bush just because I'm the King and tell me outright if I'm about to mess up. You keep me in check so the power doesn't go to my head. You have no idea how important that has been to me since I have taken the throne."

Erza looked away at the praise and Jellal stood up, coming around the table to kneel in front of her, forcing her to look at him.

"You are an amazing woman, Erza and I trust you unconditionally."

She stared back at him for several long moments before she shook her head with a sigh.

"You are so damn sappy right now."

"And you are so damn uncomfortable," he parried before he took her hand into his, entwining their fingers. "And there will be other times when I'm going to be sappy and you will sigh and shake your head in annoyance before smacking me, hopefully only verbally, and then we will argue a bit more but in the end..." he trailed off.

"In the end," she prompted him as he continued to stare at her and then, to her surprise he started blushing a bit. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Nevermind," he began pulling away but Erza tugged him back down.

"I do mind. Now finish what you were going to say."

"In the end we kiss and make up," he mumbled quickly, hoping she wouldn't catch his words. She did, though and to her extreme annoyance, she could feel her cheeks warming up as well.

"Well, we are going to be married in several months," she started, trying to be rational. "And then we'll be doing a lot more than kissing, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess so."

The silence was awkward, something that rarely happened with them. Jellal remained kneeling in front of her, her right hand and his left still intertwined and resting on her knee. But before either of them could make a move - though what the move would be was uncertain - the door banged open and Coco ran in, stopping in her tracks at the scene in front of her.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

But they were already pulling away from each other, Jellal taking his seat and Erza striding towards the door.

"I'll see you in the meeting," she said over her shoulder in lieu of a goodbye and then she was gone, the door closing behind her. Coco looked at Jellal sadly.

"Did I do anything wrong?"

"No," Jellal reassured the petite girl. "We were done, anyway." For now, he added to himself before focusing on his work again.

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A/N: Sorry for the long time it took to update this one.


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